Automatic gas-conduit control means



H. JERVIS.

AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I7, 1921.

1 41 ,83 1 D Y I Patented May 23, 1922.. g

6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

3 Ami H. JERVIS. AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, I921. 1,41%8814 atented May23,192?.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. JERVIS.

AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17,1921. lAlGfiSL 4 Patented y23,1922.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

W/inassaa- I Q) J'711/ /ZZZI; eferw is H. JERVIS.

AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. 1321.

1,4: 1 6,83 l D P tented May 23, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I Q o 0 O O Q\ W IilTlllllllllllH y IIIIIH flarry (7 67"?) 55 H. JERVIS.

AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-17,1921. 1A1. 6,8311 Patented y23,1922x 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

M 07 73 (727056, Q/WWV 6%? MM H. JERVIS.

AUTOMATIC GAS CONDUIT CONTROL MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I7, I92].

1 6,3 1., Patented May 3, 15322,

6 S'rlEETS-SHEET 6.

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auromarro GAS-CONDUIT common MS.

To all whom it camera: I v

Be it known that I, HARRY J ERvIs,"a c1t1- zen of the- United States, residing at Weir-- ton, in the county of Hancock and State of West Vir' iahave invented new and usefulIImpro x r'ia ments in Automatic Gas-Conduit' Control Means, of, whlch the followingis 'a specification I w;

One object of mypresent invention is the provision of reliable automatlc means for cutting ofi the supply of gas to the burners V in a house in'the event ofthe supply of gas failing during the use of one or more burners thrsgv ith aview toaverting accidents.

'7 nother object is the provision in cut-ofi' means "for the purpose described, of a p11ot light and an equipment for automatlcally assuring a plentiful supply of gas to the pilot light irrespectlve of fluctuations in the gas supply, thereby adapting the pilot light to maintain the cut-off valve in open position so long as gas is supplied tothe burner or burners.

Another object is the provislon of a simple, compact and durable apparatus embodying the means defined for the purposes set forth. v

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawmgs,cform1ng part of this specification a u I Figure 1 is-a side elevatlon showing my improvement as properly arranged relatively to a gas meter and a house plpe leadin .therefrom.

igure 2 is a top plan "View of the apparatus on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2. d Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the side of the apparatus opposlte to that shown in Figure 1. a

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertlcal sect on taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 2. Y

' Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sect on taken in the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2. i

Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged details of the sections comprised in the pltman complementary to the cut-ofi' valve.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail v ew. show I Specification oi itetters Eate'nt. Applioation iiled Augustl'l, 1921.

-line 10-10 of F vconnection of the stood that it is within the and 10, respectively,

1 Patented May 23, 1922,

Serial n. 492,958.

ing the adjustable connection of the thermostat rod to the pilot-light valve;

F gure 10 is an enlarged detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the igure 2 and showing the sections in the itman of the cut-off valve. p

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

I have elected to show my improvement as applied to a house pipe 1 leading from a gas meter 2, but I desire it distinctly underpurview of my invention to use the improvement on an conduit or in conjunction with any conduit to which it is applicable. In the present specific embodiment of my invention, which is the best of which I am cognizant, I arrange in the conduit 1 a cutoff valve 3 on the stem 1 of the plug of which 18 a crank 5. The said cut-01f valve 3 is shown 1n Flgure 2 in open, working position and is shown in igure 1 in closed or idle position.

respect-to the conduit 1 are U-shaped frame members 7 and8, Figures 1,2, 3, 4 and 5, spaced apart and'arranged in parallelism at right angles to the conduit 1; The said frame members 7 and 8 are connected together in one frame unit by back and front longitudinal frame .bars designated b 9 Figures 4 and 2. 'Ihe frame or frame unit also comprises a transverse rod 11 between the upright portions of the member 8. In the upright portions of the frame member 7 is journaled a transverse shaft 12 arranged in parallelism with the rod 11- as best shown in Figure 2. On the forward end of the said shaft 12 is a hand crank 13, and to the shaft is fixed a ratchet disk 14, acrank 15 and a crank 16, Figures 1, 2 and 1. Between the crank 15 and the lower bar of the frame member 7 vis interposed a retractile spring 17 shown in Figures 2, 3 and 1 state as when the cut-off valve 3' is open and .in Figure 1 in retracted or contracted state as when said cut-off valve is closed, the valve in fact being closed by the retraction of the spring 17 The crank 16 on the shaft crank on the stem of the in stretched or expanded Clamped at 6 on or otherwise fixed with 12 is connected with the crank 5 of the man 18 made up-"of sections 19and 20, i

i tion 26 being arranged'in the channeled par-'- ures'7' and 8; thesec tion 19 having a ba 1.

2ldispo'sed in a socket 22 on the crank 16,

. andthe'section 20 having alatera'l extremity 23 journaled and appropriately secured in the crank 5. 'The section 20 1s channeled at 24 and a ertured at 25., andthe section 19 is provi ed with a portion 26,1n .wh1ch is a plurality of apentures 27 the said portion 24, and the/t 0 sections, being connected by a bolt 27, threaded .in the section as bestshown in Figure 10. A pawl 28 for cooperation with the ratchet disk 14 is fulcrumed at'2 9 on a lateral projection "30 carried by the frame bar 10. On-the front upright portion ofthe frame member 8, Figures 3 and 6, is an overhanging arm 31, and disposed below and appropriately I connected .to said arm are hollow wafers 32 which per se are of the ordinary well known construction and constitute the thermostat of my improvement in the present embodiment of the invention. The said wafers 32.

.are appropriately connected together, and 'the lowermost wafer is connected through the medium of a depending rod 33; Figures. 5 and 6, with the 'arm of the pawl 28 remote from the ratchet disk 14. The rod 33 extends through the upright discharge portion.

34, Figures 3 and 5, of a flue 35 that is carried by a clamp bracket 36, on the rear upright ortion of the frame, member 8. In the said discharge portion 34 of the flue 35 is seated the lower end of an expansion spring 37 which surrounds the rod 33 and bears at its upper end against the thermostate, and against the action of which the rod '33 is forced downwardly by the expansion of the thermostat due to the action of heat supplied through the flue 35. Connected to and depending from the pipe 1 is a pipe 40, Figures 3, 4 and 6, on the lower end of which is a. forwardly directed arm 41, equip ed with a manually-controlled cook 42. t its forward end the said arm 41 merges into an upstanding pipe 43 equipped with a pilot light or burner 44 and with what I designate a pilot-light valve 45. The said pilot light 44 is disposed in the receiving portion of the flue 35, and on the stem of its valve 45 is a crank 46, Figure 9 to which is connected, preferably in adjustable manner, the pendent bar 47 of a thermostat connection 48 best shown in Figure 3 which connection also comprises a lever, 49 fulcrumed on the flue 35 and having one of its arms connected, preferably in adjust: able manner, to the pendent bar 47, and a bar 50 appropriately connected to and extending downwardly from the thermostat and connected, preferably in adjustable manner, to the other arm of the lever 49.

At 51' the flue 35 is provided with a vent the t I cut -oii valve 3 through the of a itilfor' the escape Tofje xcess- -heat, andatt52'saidf flue has an' opening designed for the entry of air and adapted to be closed-to, agr

Figure 6. a his, however, is not of .the essence of my invention.

In; the practicaluse of my the pilot burner 44 is'lighted to supply heat through the' flue 35 for the expansion ,of ermostat and the movement of the pawl 28 by'the thermostat into engagement improvement, 7

I eater. 'oryless extent-by an adjustable shutter 53,

with the ratchet disk 14. The crank 13 is y then manually moved in the direction indicated by arrow in Figure 1 to open the cut-off valve 3 and putunder tension. the spring 17. ,Under normal conditions the pilot burner, 44 remains lighted, and the cut-off valve 3 is retained in open position by the. cooperation of the pawl 28 with the ratchet disk"'.14, and this against the tendency of the-spring 17 tocontract. In the event, however, of the supply of gas through the conduit 1-! failing, it will be readily understood that following the going out of the pilot light 44, the thermostat will cool and by drawing upwardly on one arm of the pawl 28 will disengage the other arm there of from the ratchet disk 14 whereupon retraction of the spring 17 will take place and will effect the closing of the cut-off valve.

It frequently happens under service conditions that the supply of.gas in the conduit 1 fluctuates to a considerable'extent. The described connection 48 best shown in Figure 3 is provided to meet the said contingency, forit will be-readily understood that when a comparatively small quantity of gas is supplied to the pilot burner 44 and the thermostat 32 contracts to 'a slight extent in consequence, the connection 48 will operate to increase the opening of the valve 45 with the result that a greater volume of gas will be supplied to the pilot-burner 44i. e., suflicient gas to maintain the expansion of the thermostat and thereby assure the retention of the pawl 28 in engagement with the ratchet disk 14 and the maintenance of the cut-off valve3 in open state.

After the automatic closin of the cut-oif valve 3 in the manner descrlbed, it will be understood that it is incumbent on some person in authority to light the pilot burner 44 subsequently to the re-establishment of the supp y crank 13 and open the cut-off valve 3 when the improvement will be re-set for the automatic control of the cut-ofl valve.

It will be apparent from the foregoing of gas, and to-the'n turn the i pact in construction, and is free from delicate parts such as are liable to get out of order after a short period of use.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the said specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the invention various changes and modifications may be made such as fall Within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent,1s:

1. The combination of a conduit, a cutoff valve therein, a spring to close said valve,

movable means adapted in one position to prevent closing of the valve by the spring, a' pilot burner, a conduit between the firstnamed. conduit and the pilot burner and provided with a valve means to close the cut-off valve when the same is released, and thermostatic means subject to heat from the pilot burner when the latter is lighted to increase the opening of the pilot-burner valve and connected with the said movable means to move the latter to another position to bring about closing of the cut-ofi means when the. supply of gas fails.

2. The combination of a conduit, a cutoff valve therein and having a crank, a rotatable ratchet disk, a connection between the same and the cut-off valve, a spring to rotate the ratchet disk in one direction for the closing of the cut-ofi' valve, a pawl for cooperation with the disk and adapted ino'ne position to hold the disk against rota-- tion by the spring, a pilot burner, a conduit between the first-named conduit and the pilot burner and provided with a valve means to close the cut-off valve when the same is released, and thermostatic means subject to heat from the lighted pilot burner to increase the opening of the pilot-burner valve and connected with the pawl and adapted when cool to disengage the pawl from the ratchet disk.

3. The combination of a conduit, a cutoff valve therein, a pilot-burner, a conduit between the first-named conduit and the pilot burner and provided with a valve means to close the cut-off valve when the'same is released, and thermostatic means to increase the opening of the pilot-burner valve and to release the cut-off valve.

4. The combination of a conduit, a cutoff valve therein and having a crank, a rotatable ratchet disk, a connection between the same and the cut-off valve, a spring to rotate the ratchet disk in one direction for the closing ofthe cut-ofi valve, a pawl for cooperation with the disk and adapted in one position to hold the disk against rotation by the spring, a pilot burner connected with the conduit, and thermostatic means subject to heat from the lighted pilot burner and connected with the pawl and adapted when cool to disengage the pawl from the ratchet disk; the connection between the ratchet 'disk and the cut-off valve including a shaft to which the disk is fixed, crank arms fixed to the shaft and to one of which the spring is connected, and an adjustable pitman between the other crank arm and a crank on the stem of the cut-ofi' valve. 7 v

5. The combinationof a conduit, a cutoff valve therein, a spring to close said valve, movable means adapted in one position to prevent'closing of the valve by the spring, a pilot burner, a conduit between the firstnamed conduit and the pilot burner and provided with a valve means to close the cut off valve when the same is released, and

thermostatic means subject to heat from the;

pilot burner when the latter is lighted to increase the opening of the pilot-burnervalve and connected with the said movable osition 

